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Attorney General Holder Speaks at the 14th Annual Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency Awards Ceremony

"Over the last few decades – and, especially, in recent years – your efforts have become essential not only in making the organizations you serve more efficient, more effective, and more accountable – but also in preserving the principles that define who we are, and must continue to be – both as a government, and as a people," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Anti-Abortion Protestor for Face Act Violations in Colorado

The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado has ordered that Jo Ann Scott be permanently enjoined from using force, threat of force or physically obstructing any person because that person is or has been obtaining or providing reproductive health services.



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Miami-Area Halfway House Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Kickback Scheme

Natalie Evans, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Micronesian Couple Sentenced in State of Washington in Connection with Human Trafficking Violations

Edk Kenit, 28, and Choimina Lukas, 30, a Micronesian couple living in Longview, Wash., were sentenced today for their roles in a scheme to compel the labor of an 18-year-old woman, also from Micronesia.



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Baytown, Texas, Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Atascosa County, Texas Murder

Jim Flint McIntyre, aka “Q-Ball,” 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez in the Western District of Texas.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at the Department’s Conference on Post 9/11 Discrimination

"The Department of Justice takes seriously its role in enforcing the laws that protect people against such discrimination, and it moved early to respond to this crisis," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Attorney General Holder Speaks at the 59th Annual Attorney General's Awards Ceremony

"As we look back on the achievements that have marked the last year, I am grateful for the opportunity to recognize – and to personally thank – 384 extraordinary individuals whose hard work, courage, creativity, and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty has helped to inspire and advance the progress we celebrate today," said Attorney General Holder.




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Department of Justice/Federal Trade Commission Issue Final Statement of Antitrust Policy Enforcement Regarding Accountable Care Organizations

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission today issued the final version of a joint policy statement detailing how the agencies will enforce U.S. antitrust laws with respect to new Accountable Care Organizations.



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Two Indicted for Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Terrorists

Ali Charaf Damache, an Algerian man who resided in Ireland, and Mohammad Hassan Khalid, a Pakistani citizen and U.S. lawful permanent resident who resided in Maryland, have been charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists in a superseding indictment returned today in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.



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Sixth Guilty Plea in Connection with Scheme to Fraudulently Control Condominium Homeowners’ Associations

Edward Lugo, 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lloyd D. George in the District of Nevada to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.



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Texas Resident Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Export-Import Bank

Gilberto Baez-Garcia, 35, was also sentenced by Judge Kathleen Cardone in U.S. District Court in El Paso to five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $ 3,614,594 in restitution and $ 3,614,977 in forfeiture.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at the Department’s National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Event

"Attorney General Holder and I believe that it’s essential for the Department of Justice to lead the effort toward understanding how we can better serve victims of domestic violence, and how to prevent these terrible crimes from occurring in the first place," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Equal Justice Works 25th Anniversary Gala

"This evening, as we reflect on the impact and importance of this organization – we have many reasons to be proud, and to be encouraged about the days ahead," said Attorney General Holder.




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United States and Osage Tribe Announce $380 Million Settlement of Tribal Trust Lawsuit

The United States has reached a final settlement of a long-running lawsuit by the Osage Tribe of Oklahoma regarding the United States’ accounting and management of the tribe’s trust funds and non-monetary trust assets.



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Pfizer to Pay $14.5 Million for Illegal Marketing of Drug Detrol

American pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. has agreed to pay $14.5 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations related to its marketing of the drug Detrol.



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Justice Department Sues U.S. FDA Employee and Former N.Y. Corrections Official to Block Alleged Tax-Fraud Scheme

The United States has sued Rodney Chestnut and Nafeesah Hines to bar them from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme.



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Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. De C.V. and BBU Inc.'s Acquisition of the North American Fresh Bakery Business of the Sara Lee Corporation

The Department of Justice today reached a settlement with Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V., BBU Inc. and the Sara Lee Corporation that requires them to divest brands of sliced fresh bread and associated assets, in order to proceed with Grupo Bimbo and BBU’s acquisition of Sara Lee’s North American Fresh Bakery business.



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Virginia Woman Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Role in Extortion Scheme Involving Staged Kidnapping in Guatemala

Sheena Flores, 34, of Manassas, Va., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee in the Eastern District of Virginia.



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Seventh Guilty Plea in Connection with Scheme to Fraudulently Control Condominium Homeowners' Associations

A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a scheme to fraudulently gain control of condominium homeowners’ associations (HOAs) in the Las Vegas area so that the HOAs would direct business to a certain law firm and construction company.



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Former United Nations Employee Found Guilty of Fraud

Jeffery K. Armstrong was found guilty today by a federal jury on nine counts of wire fraud for obtaining more than $100,000 in salary payments by fraudulently holding concurrent jobs at the United Nations (U.N.) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).



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General Services Administration Employee Sentenced to Prison for Role in Bribery Scheme as Part of Multi-Year Corruption Investigation

A General Services Administration (GSA) customer service manager was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his role in a bribery scheme related to payments he received for awarding GSA contracts to various government contractors.



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Utah Man Pleads Guilty for His Role in Procurement Fraud Scheme

Jose Mendez, 50, of Farr West, Utah, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and procurement fraud, one count of bribery and one count of procurement fraud.



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Las Vegas Attorney Pleads Guilty to Charges Relating to Scheme to Fraudulently Control Condominium Homeowners’ Associations and Scheme to Commit Bank Fraud

David Amesbury, 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan in the District of Nevada to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.



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Arlington, Texas, Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Federal Prison for Arson at an Islamic Center

Henry Clay Glaspell, 34, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means to 14 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in February 2011 to a hate crime charge stemming from an arson of a children’s playground at the Dar El-Eman Islamic Center in Arlington in July 2010.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference

"As our nation’s Attorney General, as a prosecutor and former judge, and as the brother of a retired police officer, I am extremely grateful – for your service, for your courage, for your commitment to the objectives that we share, and for your contributions to the achievements that we celebrate this week," said Attorney General Holder.




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Senior Counselor for Access to Justice Mark Childress Speaks at DC Bar Annual Pro Bono Program

"The Access to Justice office represents an unprecedented commitment by this Administration to addressing our indigent defense system, to growing pro bono service opportunities, and – ultimately – to strengthening our entire legal system," said Senior Counselor Mark Childress.




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Five Individuals Indicted in a Fraud Conspiracy Involving Exports to Iran of U.S. Components Later Found in Bombs in Iraq

Five individuals and four of their companies have been indicted as part of a conspiracy to defraud the United States that allegedly caused thousands of radio frequency modules to be illegally exported from the United States to Iran, at least 16 of which were later found in unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq.



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Two Top Administrators of NinjaVideo Website Plead Guilty to Criminal Copyright Conspiracy

Joshua David Evans, 34, of North Bend, Wash., and Jeremy Lynn Andrew, 33, of Eugene, Ore., pleaded guilty today for their roles in NinjaVideo.net, a website that provided millions of users with the ability to illegally download infringing copies of copyright-protected movies and television programs in high-quality formats.



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Department of Justice Seeks to Recover More Than $70.8 Million in Proceeds of Corruption from Government Minister of Equatorial Guinea

The U.S. government has filed civil forfeiture complaints against approximately $70.8 million in real and personal property, which the government alleges is the proceeds of foreign corruption offenses and was laundered in the United States.



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Host of Child Pornography Online Bulletin Board Pleads Guilty to Transporting Child Pornography and Destruction of Records

According to his plea agreement, from approximately December 2006 through August 2008, Terry Lee Nolley, 47, and others conspired to operate “Country Lounge,” a secure web-based bulletin board dedicated to trading images of child pornography.



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Executive Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Scheme to Bribe Officials at State-Owned Telecommunications Company in Haiti

Joel Esquenazi, 52, of Miami, and Carlos Rodriguez, 55, of Davie, Fla., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in the Southern District of Florida.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the American Bar Association’s National Pro Bono Summit

"Pro bono work must be seen by all lawyers as nothing more than an essential part of their professional lives," said Attorney General Holder.




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California-Based DFine Inc. to Pay U.S. More Than $2.3 Million to Settle Claims That Company Paid Kickbacks to Physicians

DFine Inc. of San Jose, Calif., has agreed to pay the United States $2.39 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that the company paid kickbacks to induce physicians to use certain of the company’s devices that are used in treating spinal fractures.



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U.S. Virgin Islands Company Sentenced for Illegal Trade of Protected Coral

On July 15, 2011, GEM Manufacturing LLC, headquartered in St. Thomas, pleaded guilty to seven counts of violations of both the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act.



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Deputy Attorney General Cole and Department Officials Announce Results of Summer Anti-Violence Initiative in Denver

Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole today announced the results of an anti-violence initiative launched in May 2011 to combat violent crime throughout the city of Denver.



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Georgia Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison in Plot to Supply Iran with U.S. Military Aircraft Components

Michael Edward Todd, a U.S. national who is president of The Parts Guys LLC, a company in Port Orange, Fla., that maintains a warehouse at the Middle Georgia Municipal Airport in Macon, was sentenced this morning in federal court in the Middle District of Georgia.



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Former Abramoff Colleague Kevin Ring Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Conspiracy, Honest Services Fraud and Payment of Gratuities Related to Illegal Lobbying Scheme

Kevin A. Ring, a former lobbyist who worked with Jack A. Abramoff, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for his role in a scheme to corrupt public officials by providing an illegal stream of things of value, including vacations, employment for a congressman’s wife, meals, drinks, and high-priced tickets to exclusive concerts and sporting events.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Wisconsin Landlord for Discriminating on the Basis of Race

The Justice Department announced today a lawsuit against the manager and owner of the Geneva Terrace Apartments in La Crosse, Wisc., alleging discrimination against African-Americans who were seeking to rent apartments at the complex.



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California Man Sentenced in Las Vegas for Filing False Liens Against Federal Employees

Thanh Viet Jeremy Cao of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., was sentenced today in Las Vegas before Judge Kent J. Dawson to 41 months in prison for six counts of filing false liens against employees and officers of the federal government.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at the Anti-Violence Initiative Press Conference

"To see the results of this law enforcement initiative – arresting 80 defendants with firearms, most of whom have gang affiliations – is impressive," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Eight Northern California Real Estate Investors Agree to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging at Public Foreclosure Auctions

Eight Northern California real estate investors have agreed to plead guilty today for their roles in two separate conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



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Justice Department Files Suit Against Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to Protect Employment Rights of U.S. Army Reservist

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today against the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections alleging that it violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act by failing to retroactively promote a U.S. Army Reservist based on his successful performance on a make-up promotional examination after he returned from a military deployment.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit with Washington State Company to Enforce Employment Rights of U.S. Air Force Reservist

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with James J. Williams Bulk Service Transport Inc. (JJW), its parent company Trans-System Inc. and System TWT Transportation Inc. alleging that the companies violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by failing to promptly and properly reemploy U.S. Air Force reservist Dave Axtell in April 2009 when he returned from military service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.



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Two Pittsburgh Residents Sentenced on Racketeering Charges

Two Pittsburgh residents were sentenced to prison this week on racketeering charges relating to their involvement with the Brighton Place/Northview Heights Crips.



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Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability Discrimination in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The Justice Department today announced a settlement of its lawsuit alleging that Equity Homes Inc, PBR LLC, BBR LLC and Shane Hartung violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by failing to provide features that would make their multi-family housing developments in Sioux Falls accessible to people with disabilities as required by the Fair Housing Act.



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Statements by Attorney General Holder and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack on Court Approval of Pigford II Settlement Agreement

“This settlement allows the Department of Agriculture and African-American farmers to focus on the future, and brings us one step closer to giving these farmers a chance to have their claims heard,” said Attorney General Holder.



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Former Owners of Florida Airline Fuel Supply and Indiana Flight Management Services Companies Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Defraud Ryan International Airlines

A former owner and operator of a Florida-based airline fuel supply service company and a former owner and operator of an Indiana-based flight management services company were sentenced today to serve prison time and to pay restitution for conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud in separate schemes to defraud Ryan International Airlines.



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Attorney General Holder, Federal and State Officials Announce Enforcement Efforts Against Illegal Prescription Drug Distributors in Florida

Federal authorities, along with state and local law enforcement partners, conducted coordinated enforcement actions today against 22 individuals and one pharmacy allegedly involved in the illegal distribution of prescription drugs.



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Owner of Houston Health Care Company Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison in Connection with $1.3 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Ekpedeme Obot, 35, of Houston, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal in Houston.



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Department of Justice Challenges South Carolina’s Immigration Law

The Department of Justice challenged South Carolina’s recently passed immigration law, Act No. 69, in federal court today.



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